Water skis have been made from a variety of materials including wood, plastic, metal, and various combinations of these materials.
In manufacturing water skis, water ski manufacturers seek to develop skis which have the right characteristics for the intended use (e.g. as recreational skis, as slalom skis, or as trick skis), have a minimum weight consistent with performance and stability requirements, are buoyant, are rugged, and the like. In addition, water ski manufacturers seek to achieve these properties using materials of construction and manufacturing techniques which lend themselves to mass production and minimum costs.
In the past, water skis have been produced from solid wood. More recently, water skis have been made as laminates or composites by gluing or molding together under pressure a plurality of wooden or plastic parts or a combination of such parts, frequently with the aid of such materials as glass reinforced polyester resins and epoxy resins. Sometimes, metal components are included for added strength.
As labor and energy costs change, and as different raw materials become more or less available, manufacturers continue their search for new ways of making water skis.